“Very well.” Scarlett's chest rises and falls, and fear slashes across her face. “Mr. Allister? My mom wanted to make cookies for your office and asked me to ask Scarlett if she could come over and help. She should be setting up now. Would that be okay with you?” Grant looks over to Scarlett, and she gives him her best grin.
Nodding his head, “Very well, please pass my thanks on, that's extremely nice of her, the team will appreciate it.” I turn, nodding to Scarlett to follow me. We walk across the grass to my front door.
We head into the kitchen, where I sit Scarlett down at the island and give her water, “I’m going to get my mom, sit tight.” I kiss her forehead and head upstairs to find my mom.
I knock on her bedroom door, slowly opening it, “Mom?” She peeks her head around her computer and smiles big.
“Spencer, hey sweetie, what’s up?”
“I need you to do something for me. I need you to make cookies with my friend, Scarlett. She’s sitting downstairs at the island, but I need you to make enough cookies for the police department. I told them it was your idea, and I need you to keep her here till Levi and I get back from practice. Could you do that for me?” She smiles and puffs her eyes.
“Of course, sweetie, I love making cookies. Are you alright?” She places her hand on my cheek.
“I’m great, just keep her here until I get back, don’t let her go home.” She nods, uncertainty shining in her eyes, but her willingness to do anything for her son outweighs it, and we walk downstairs together.
Scarlett is sitting patiently, scrolling on her phone, when we come down. She stands up and turns towards us as we make our way to her. “Scarlett, hello, honey, ready to make some cookies? Thank you so much for coming to help!” My mom pulls her in for a hug, catching Scarlett off guard, making me laugh. Mom takes Scarlett's hand and leads her to the baking supplies, handing her all the ingredients.
“Right, you two have fun baking, I’ll see you after practice.” I turn to head out, then turn back to my mom, “I love you, Ma.” She smiles and winks.
I head to baseball, knowing Scarlett will be safe.
Chapter 19
Mother’s Love
Scarlett
Spencer’s mom has the entire kitchen island covered in every possible item you would need to bake cookies, cakes, or any dessert, honestly. She ties her apron and hands me one to do the same. Tying it around my waist, she claps her hands together. “Alright, honey, let's get whipping up some cookies.”
I watch Anna get the cookbook ready and plug in her KitchenAid mixer. She turns to me with an infectious smile. “What kind of cookies?”
Thinking hard for a good answer, “Chocolate chip?” She smiles and pulls the chocolate chip bag out of the pile.
“Perfect, those are Spencer's favorites! Do you want to mix the wet ingredients or the dry ones?” Emotions rush over me; I don't know, I've never done this before.
“Hmm, I'm not sure…I haven't done this before.” Anna stopped for a moment. As quickly as her pity came, she shifted her focus and smiled.
“Well, honey, you are in for a treat! We will do it together!” She sets up the bowl, and we begin mixing flour, eggs, butter, and something called vanilla, along with a few other ingredients. Then, she steps back from the mixer.
“Go for it.” I step up and turn the mixer switch, but I push it too hard, and flour flies out of the mixing bowl. As quickly as I can, I turn off the mixer and look at her, terrified.
We make eye contact, and I can feel the powder mixture dusted all over my face. Anna laughs, and laughs so hard she begins crossing her legs, making me laugh. “That was one way to do it.”
I step away from the mixer. “I am so incredibly sorry,” I say after catching my breath.
She walks over to the mixture and smiles, placing a soft, delicate hand on my shoulder, “sweetheart, there is not one thing to be sorry for.” With that, she looks at me and flips the mixer too fast again, allowing the powder to shoot up into her face, and turns to look at me. “See, no big deal, this is supposed to be fun!” Now that we both look like Jack Frost, we finish mixing the cookies.
Once the cookies are in, we start on the brownies. I'm cracking eggs when the door opens, and in walks David. He sets his briefcase on the table. Instantly, fear sets in. If Grant saw the kitchen this messy, someone would get beaten, and given the way my face looks, it would be me. “Hello, Scarlett,” he says, and starts walking, wrapping his hands gently around Anna's back. She turns around, and he jumps. “I see you and Scarlett have gotten into a food fight.”
She laughs, dumping the brownie powder into the bowl. He kisses her cheek. “We didn't get into a food fight, but what a great idea.” She takes the brownie powder and flicks some into his face. It latches onto his 5 o'clock shadow, turning his grey beard brown. He laughs and pulls her lovingly into him while he rubs his face all over Anna's, making her laugh, ending in a passionate kiss. “Let the girls bake, I'll bring you one when it's done.” He sets his hand on her cheek and rubs her forehead.
“Okay, sweetheart, you two have fun.” He smiles warmly and heads to the other room. She watches him walk away, and I watch her.
Anna's eyes burst with compassion. “I love that man.” She smiles at me and finishes whisking the brownie mixture, then puts it in the oven.
We sit on the island while the cookies bake, waiting for them to come out of the oven and for new cookies to go in. “So sweetie, how are you liking school, and being here?”
I nod my head, trying out our first batch.Oh my god, these are amazing. “I love school, and I really like living here.” She smiles, pulling the cookies off the warm pan and placing them on what I now know are cooling racks.
